The 2021 French Open would be the 125th edition of the prestigious tennis Grand Slam. It is all set to be played between May 24 to June 13 at the Roland Garros in Paris, with Rafael Nadal and Iga Świątek being the defending singles champions.
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It would be the second time that FO would be held amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. While the competition was played with a limited crowd of just 15,000 last year, it would be even more this time, with the organisers expecting around 1,18,000 fans to flock to the venue.
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According to DPA, 5,000 fans would be allowed in the first two days, with 1,000 on all five show courts. The remaining five days would see 5,000 fans per court.
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Meanwhile, the organisers have also stated that fans would have to present a COVID negative certificate to be allowed inside the premises. Tournament director Amelie Oudea-Castera said that a negative PCR or antigen test not 48 hours old or a vaccination certificate would be mandatory for the spectators.
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"This is undoubtedly a very significant shortfall compared to a normal edition. There will be very important work on clearing up the financial situation," said Oudea-Castera, reports AFP.
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As for the players, they would be confined to their respective bubbles and would only be allowed to venture out to the venue during their matchdays, along with a couple of support staff. Also, the tournament would introduce night matches for the first time, with a couple of games involving each gender scheduled under lights.NOTE: Asianet News humbly requests everyone to wear masks, sanitise, maintain social distancing and get vaccinated as soon as eligible. Together we can and will break the chain #ANCares #IndiaFightsCorona
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